Let’s Chat: Loving the theatre

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on March 13, 2024.

One of the things I love about living here (and there are many) is the fact that we have such talented people who volunteer their time to put on amazing theatre productions. I have been to many productions put on at the Medicine Hat Musical Theatre and am in awe every time I leave there by the talent our local community has.

On Friday night, March 8, I was invited to go and see the Finding Nemo Jr. production put on by the Bubbles Cast of Fine Art students from St. Mary’s School. This is a musical adaptation of the immensely popular 2003 Disney film Finding Nemo. This event took place at the Esplanade and it was the perfect venue for this production.

My review starts with the production team. Their tasks include directing, musical directing, looking after the lighting, sets & props, puppets, costumes, sound, set construction, painting, set design and choreography, I’m sorry if I forgot to mention part of this group. These individuals transported us from our seats to the Pacific Ocean for a 50-minute ride that captivated us as Nemo Jr. and his overprotective dad Marlin desperately try to find each other after Nemo Jr. wanders to an area he should not have gone to and consequently becomes separated from his dad. The lighting and backdrop were so visually appealing it was amazing.

The students and their costumes and puppets took a lot of coordinating and they hit it on the bullseye.

I wish I could mention every actor and actress and the roles they had in this article, but I just do not have the room to do that. I want to mention a few who stood out for me.

First, the character of Dory played by Caroline Schultz. This young lady if she chooses to follow the theatre, will do amazing things. Her presence on stage was felt by everyone. She made us laugh with her portrayal of a blue tang fish who suffers from short-term memory loss.

Second, the character of Marlin played by Joshua Hansford, was incredible. To play a father figure at such a young age takes talent and Joshua has it.

Next, Elias Cairns had the opportunity to portray both Professor Ray and Bruce.

Learning lines for two roles and having to change costumes to reflect those characters takes a lot of talent and Elias has that. The character of Nemo Jr. played by Owen Mellish stole the show for me. Being that character on a big stage takes courage and Owen portrayed a confident young fish with finesse.

Lastly, I would like to give a special shout-out to all the actors and actresses who portrayed the fish chorus, sharks, seagulls, turtles, jellyfish, the vacationer, those behind the scenes, and especially Sophia Poloni who took her role as a seagull seriously. Her smile lit up the room every time she was on stage.

Keep performing everyone!

Linda Tooth is a communications instructor at Medicine Hat College

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